Exercise: The Surprising Memory Booster

Just a few workouts a week can keep your body — and your mind — in shape.

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Getting your move on improves both physical and mental fitness. And you don't have to wait until you're eligible for AARP membership to see the brain benefit: A Harvard study of people ages 18 to 45 found that the more time adults spent exercising, the more brain tissue they had in zones involved in memory.

"For most people, the memory-related brain areas start shrinking at a rate of 1% to 2% a year after they turn 50," says lead author William D. S. Killgore, Ph.D. "But you may be able to slow — or even prevent — the decline with regular exercise." Aim for at least 150 active minutes a week (break them up however you'd like), experts say, and keep it up as you get older.